Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries

Bitterly

Bitterly - bit·ter·ly - /ˈbidərlē/

1. in an angry, hurt, or resentful way

2. to an extreme, forceful, or particularly harsh degree

Odessa stared at the remains of her 'father.' He was but a pile of small, fragmented body parts coated with a thin layer of venom. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a lighter she kept on her person for emergencies. With a quick flick of her fingers, she ignited the lighter and threw it so it engulfed his last remnants in flames. She watched the flames turn him to ash, the flames dancing in her satisfied eyes. He got what was coming for him. He deserved to burn for all the pain he caused her, for all the remorse and tears and fear. The pleasure and gratification she felt in the moment, the giddiness at bringing him to his demise, brought a shiver to her spine. She shivered deliciously and basked in the foreign feeling overtaking her. A hand on her shoulder brought her out of her stupor.

She whipped her head around and stared into understanding crimson eyes. Alec squeezed her shoulder, whether in reassurance or restraint she did not know. His hand slid down her arm slowly, distracting her from her thoughts. She followed the tantalizing movement as his hand ghosted over her bare arm and down to her hand. He grasped her hand in his and pulled her away from the now smoking pile of ash and towards Aro, who was sporting a mock expression of sympathy.

"My dear, I applaud you for facing your demons with such ferocity," he said. He reached for her hands and enveloped them in his without consent. Odessa tried pulling back, but the small pressure on her hands was warning enough. She gritted her teeth and stood there while he perused through her memories. Finally, he released her, and she took the opportunity to step away and walk away to collect her thoughts. It wasn't the time to get angry at others for invading her privacy. She would deal with that later. She had to focus on what mattered in the moment: her sisters.

She didn't even think to assess the consequences that came with killing Joham. She was so lost in her revenge and her sense of dishing out justice that she forgot Nahuel's words: "Serena is the oldest of them. She is much like Joham. She is sadistic and continues to try to persuade me to join them on their journeys. Maysun is the next oldest. She is not as bad as Serena, but she refuses to leave Joham's side. I am afraid she may turn out like Serena. Jennifer is the youngest. I like visiting her the most and am quite close to her. She is not as influenced by Joham as the others are and still retains some innocence."

They were all close to Joham, even Jennifer who must have formed some sort of bond to Joham on their travels. Although it could all be an act, the possibility of retaliation was huge. No doubt Odessa would have to anticipate an impending attack. Her stamina was already down from her attack on Joham, and she could already feel the effects of using her gift. A small headache pounded behind her eyes and her body felt more sluggish than usual. She only hoped the Volturi wouldn't let her sisters tear her to pieces when they regained their senses.

"Alec, why don't you allow our other three guests the liberty to speak?" Aro suggested. Alec nodded his head and relinquished his gift. The transparent wisps of black smoke slowly detached itself from the three hybrids and made its way back into Alec's palms. When the smoke was completely gone, the three hybrids gasped. Now that Odessa had a clear view of them, her eyes widened in surprise; none of them looked alike. They must have taken after their mothers.

"Where is our father?" one asked menacingly. She had brown hair highlighted by lighter wisps. Her eyes were teak, her skin was painted with a slight undertone, and her facial features were reminiscent of those found in Indian cultures. The amount of malice in her voice led Odessa to believe she was Serena.

"All will be explained," Aro said calmly.

"Who is she?" Orange hair and big round eyes the same shade as Odessa's. Her open face and short stature screamed innocence. Jennifer. That left Maysun, who was distinctly Asian; black straight hair that fell to her collarbones. Her eyes, too, were teak in color.